Lost Colony
by Southern Magnolia
Summary: One-Shot from a Thanksgiving one-shot contest, second place. Bella is Isabella de'Medici, born in 1571, and taken from her family by Edward and the Volturi at a young age. Rating for content, some language.


Author's Note: This is a one-shot I did for a Thanksgiving contest where the rules were wither to write a modern Twilight fic based on the holiday of Thanksgiving, or to write a historical fic where Jake was part of a his tribe around the time Thanksgiving would have been established. A lot of research into it, Bella's background is actually based on the Medici family of the time, who did indeed have a daughter named Isabella (though she died in infancy). I've gone through and added translations which will appear _[like this]_ next to the sentence they're translating. Hope you enjoy!

I remember my childhood fairly well, which is a little odd, I suppose. My mother adored all her children and taught us to all read and write from an early age. There were visits to the grave of my elder sister Romola, burying my little sister Lucrezia.

I had been especially close to my elder sister Anna and we'd often play together, occasionally with my eldest sister Eleonora. My mother often watched over us herself instead of a servant, but for when her pregnancies with Lucrezia in 1572 and then Marie in 1575 prevented her. Despite our ages, the three of us could see the disappointment that she had not had a son. We did not think much of it, though we grasped the importance of a son, but we paid it little mind.

But then I stumbled upon several occurrences later I recognized as the cause for my mother's distress. Arguments with my father in which she mentioned a mistress in a castle, the birth of a boy named Antonio. Then I could not fathom the meaning behind these words, but when my little brother Filippo arrived in 1577, I knew my mother was overjoyed. She doted on him heavily, as did us four girls, though Marie was too little then to see him as more than just a baby to try and play with.

That was when I began to notice the mysterious strangers in the house. I know my mother and sisters did as well, and my mother responded by withdrawing with Filippo into her chambers. They came a few times with various different numbers and would stay for a few days, but my mom would alienate herself from us all for weeks.

The strangers frightened me, so I would often hang back as much as possible when I had to be in their presence. I soon found I was required to stay when my sisters were free to depart because I had intrigued one of them.

The one with bronze hair followed me with his red eyes, only tearing them away when the one with white hair asked something of him. His face was twisted into something resembling pain, but the red eyes never left me. Even then I could not be sorry for the pain I seemed to cause him, though I did not know why.

Their last two visits came in 1578. The first of which came just a couple weeks after my mother announced she was pregnant again. But this time a girl came with them. She was beautiful and graceful, her dark hair oddly short. Though it startled her, I did not hesitate to run over and scramble into her lap when she had but beckoned me closer. My father began to scold me for acting in such a manner, but the girl quickly silenced him with just a look. As she gazed at me, she was stricken with an odd, far-away look. I watched with curiosity as the bronze-haired one snapped his focus to her. When it was over, she glanced to him for a moment, and then looked back to me with a radiant smile.

"Bella, my name is Alice. And we're going to be best friends!"

I did not cringe at the nickname as I ordinarily might. Only my siblings called me that. But it seemed fitting from her. So I simply returned the smile, and allowed her to lead me away with her cold hand closed over mine. I was intensely glad to get away from the one with bronze hair.

Their next visit was much shorter. I awoke in bed to the sounds of shouts, making out demands of fetching a doctor. As my mother was several months pregnant, I rose to go see about the commotion, but a cold hand fell on my shoulder and stopped me. I screamed.

"Sh, little Bella. Remember me?"

I looked up and nodded dazedly up at Alice.

"We're going to go for a little trip, okay? I need you to pick out the things you wish to take with you."

I desperately wished to ask about the noise, but the sudden appearance of the creepy one made me shut my mouth.

"Alice, we have to get moving."

"Just a couple minutes, Edward. She should be allowed to bring things that comfort her."

He sighed, but only set a large chest that he carried on the ground. "I figured you'd say something like that."

She laughed joyously and began to locate and place some of my clothing in the chest. I copied her, but my additions were fewer – a porcelain doll and a couple of books from my mother, the few pieces of jewelry I possessed, and (as a last thought) a scroll that I treasured. My mother had written my full name in large, pretty script letters – Isabella Marie de'Medici, Princess of Tuscany. After that, I watched as the one I now knew as Edward locked it and lifted it with ease as Alice wrapped me in a warm traveling cloak and hat before she scooped me up and they took me away.

I later learned that my mother had died that night. As I grew, I became more and more suspicious of those I now knew as my captors, knew that I had become the price for their assistance in ending my mother's life.

I withdrew and would permit only Alice to come near me within my quarters in the castle in Volterra. She would bring me my meals and spend time with me, tried to distract me when screams would fill the castle at least once a week. She was the one that took me back to attend the funerals of my baby brother in 1582 when I was ten, then my beloved sister Anna in 1584 when I was twelve. My sister Eleonora was seventeen then, and I knew she spotted us where we stood on a nearby hill, but she turned away and took Marie's hand to lead her away. To the red-headed woman holding the hand of a boy about Marie's age. I'd never met them, but through Alice's information, I knew who they were. The red-headed woman was named Bianca Cappello, my father's mistress and now wife since only two months after my mother's demise. The little boy was the one that had been born to Bianca and my father while my mother still lived – Don Antonio de'Medici.

Outside of Alice's visits, my life at Volterra was a solitary one. I spent most my days in the library that they had placed me a short distance from, teaching myself anything and everything possible. For my safety, there had been a member of the Volturi guard assigned to me – Afton. He stood outside my chamber doors and was with me at all times that I was not with Alice and later, though not near as much, Edward. In my youth, I'd disregarded him entirely, and he'd done the same for me. But in my thirteenth year, a figure I later learned was a transient member of the Volturi guard was returning while I was being permitted a stroll through a field with Afton a few yards away, cloaked and hooded should another human pass by.

I'd never met or seen this vampire before, but Afton had soon placed himself directly between him and me. I braced myself for some sort of battle to begin, but it never came. The vampire simply stopped in his tracks, looked around in bewilderment, then turned to continue on toward Volterra.

When I questioned him about it a few moments later, he said he simply had a small shielding ability that could make him and someone standing behind him appear not to be there. It was why he had been chosen to protect me. But, he explained, it was not even as strong as mine. He'd grown uncomfortable when I appeared to not know what he meant, but I slowly got an answer from him.

Edward was a mind reader, it was why he was always there during the meetings with my father, but he'd taken quick notice of me because he was incapable of reading my mind. He had spoken with Aro about me, and eventually Aro sent along Alice to see me. It was on her recommendation that he agreed to have me brought to Volterra. Once I'd arrived, I'd unwittingly been subjected to various tests of this apparent immunity by not only Aro, but Alec, Charmion, Demetri... even Jane.

I stayed in the field and talked with Afton for several hours. It was the first time anyone had said the word 'vampire' around me, told me what they were in detail beyond the passing mentions I'd found in books. He told me how different my blood smelled to all of them, but most of all to Edward. I finally understood that look of pain on Edward's face from our initial meetings. But most of all, I understood what Afton had been keeping me safe from all these years. He'd protected me more than my father ever had, especially in giving me to these creatures.

I became more attached to Afton than anyone else, even frequently shunning Alice's company because of her involvement in my being brought here. Charmion even came to accept my presence after a few months and between the two of them, I was permitted to venture out into Volterra and move amongst other humans. This was only during the colder months so they wouldn't look out of place so bundled up, but I prized those times nonetheless.

But that all began to change the spring after I'd turned sixteen. Charmion alerted Afton and I both to the discussion amongst the coven. Some humans had set up a colony a couple years before in the new world, and were making plans to send more. But word had already reached the Volturi that the colony had been wiped out already, and they didn't want the circumstances to begin to spread. They were discussing whether to find a way to ruin the expedition or to send a small contingent of their own to lead the thoughts of the humans away from possible supernatural causes.

As the weeks passed, I began to look forward to news as it seemed they indeed planned to send a few Volturi. They obviously could not send too many, due to limited feeding opportunities. But it was obvious they meant to send Edward in order to catch and suspicions before they were ever voiced, and Alice along with him to both prevent any decisions that would create more trouble, and so she could keep watch on the Volturi decisions to she could tell the contingent when to return. That alone excited me, the thought of months or even years without the ever watchful presence of Edward, or having to see the hurt expressions on Alice's face as I spent less and less time around her. Felix and Demetri were both selected to go as well.

I was content for a while. Until Charmion came and told me that Aro had sent for me. I cringed. I hadn't seen Aro since my first days here. But I went, all the same. And found all the contentment that had built over the past few weeks pushed away in a matter of moments.

Edward had requested that I go with them. He had said that he wouldn't feel comfortable being so far away from me for so long, but also that it would be good to have a human Volturi representative about on such a mission. As my head swam with the thought of **helping** them to deceive a group of innocent humans, Aro dropped another bomb.

Edward also had always planned on changing me once I was seventeen, and they'd thought it would be best done far away. At least if I lost control there, it was a situation where evidence could be controlled or even erased.

The two months spent on the ship was miserable enough. The handful of deaths were pretty much par for the course on such a long voyage in tight quarters. But Edward also took it upon himself to make sure we spent almost every waking moment together. Not wanting to make things more unpleasant than they already were, I tried to indulge him as best I could, though I spent more time listening than talking. It didn't take long before I realized he seemed to have fallen for me, and that made me shy away further.

Upon reaching land, I was startled to look upon the skeleton of a colony that had been left behind. Walking through, I could see from the signs that whatever happened, it had happened fast, and violently. The creatures that had caused this destruction... were just like the ones that I had spent the last decade with. Even Afton and Charmion, whom I had come to think of almost as a mother and father.

I fled into the nearby forest. I knew that when they wanted, they could easily find me again. I might even have to count on it, as I ran without any sense of time or direction. But I had to get away, at least for a while. The thought of becoming like them had sickened me from the moment that I'd heard it was a possibility. But now that I saw the kinds of things I might do... I wanted nothing more than to get lost for a while.

Hours later, I realized I had gotten more than I could ask for. It had grown dark, so I couldn't use the sun for a reference point, and I had no idea how to find my way by the stars in this part of the world. With a sigh, I sank down to sit on the ground, leaning against the trunk of a tree to rest. If I sat still, it would be easier for them to find me. I could not have covered enough distance in the couple of hours I had wandered for it to take them more than a few moments to track me down.

All of a sudden, a figure dropped down from above to land before me, quickly covering my mouth as I opened it in order to scream. My chest rose and fell with my rapid breathing as I tried to discern anything about the identity of the figure. Everything was still for a few moments, and then he pulled me to my feet. His hand felt impossibly hot over mine as he tugged me along with sure steps on a path that seemed to exist only in his memory.

Eventually, we came to a clearing partially lit by the light of the moon. Only then did he turn to look at me again, and my breath caught in my throat as he gazed at me in equal silence.

He was, in a word, beautiful. His skin was russet-colored, smooth – only tarnished by an occasional, faint scar, and pulled tight over his muscled form. Midnight black hair was tied back into a ponytail, thought it seemed barely long enough to warrant it. I flushed a little as I realized that I was gazing at a man who was essentially naked but for the cloth tied about his waist. My eyes shot upwards to his face and met with deep, earth brown eyes. I had thought that looking him in the eye would be the safer option, but I only ended up blushing more at what I found there.

But then his gaze hardened, and I took a cautious step back, "M-my friends will be looking for me. They're very good at... finding things. One of them is a tracker."

His hand shot out to grasp my wrist and pulled me back toward him in a possessive manner, seeming surprised even at himself for a moment before it passed and that hard look was back. "Your cold friends will not be able to find you unless I bring you back to them."

I tensed. 'Cold' friends? How could he possibly know about that? But I pushed those thoughts away and tugged at the hold he still had on my wrist. "Please..." Please what? I had no desire to go back. To be with Edward, to be made one of them.

I trembled as I fell to my knees with a sudden sob. My life had never been my own, and now I was facing having it end. Even that I could not have control over... could I? I brought my gaze back up to him, though my vision was blurred.

"Please... I'd rather you kill me than take me back. I don't want... I can't be near them anymore. Please, kill me instead..." I closed my eyes and felt me head drop back. The weight of the day pressed in on me, coupled with my sheer exhaustion, and I passed out.

When I awoke again, I was first aware of being warm, and that I was bundled up amongst a pile of plush furs. Then, as realization set in, I shot up, gasped, and quickly covered my nude form with one of the furs. An older woman poked her head into my room and offered a sympathetic smile. She gestured toward a fire, where I spotted my clothing drying, then handed me something neatly folded, and gestured to a basin of water near the fire before she left. I took her meaning and rose to go over and bathe myself, washing away the dirt from my body and hair before I examined the dress and gasped. It was positively indecent!

By touch, I could feel that it was fur, short and plush – I supposed it was from a doe, but it seemed to have been treated with something to make it almost as pale as the moon. As I pulled it on over my head, I felt the inside was almost silken, but gasped again to see how it fit me. It clung to my form as if it had been made for it, but it ended above my knees, scooped over my chest, and left my arms entirely bare.

I wrapped my arms about myself protectively. This 'dress' covered less of my body than my under things did! But I had little time to dwell on that, as the woman re-entered the room.

"Where am I?" I quickly asked, my senses having returned.

She simply shook her head at me and pointed to a low stool. I sighed and sat. Perhaps if I endured this, the stranger who found me earlier would return and be able to answer. In the meantime, I sat quietly as the woman worked. She combed my hair and worked some sort of scented oil into it until it shone and was silken to the touch. She braided it, placing into it various flowers, then painted my lips with some sort of dark berry, lined my eyes with a black powder. Then she handed me a pair of slippers that matched the dress. I slid them on and followed her out of the long house.

Night was just falling, so I figured that I had slept for about a day. I saw several people gathered about a fire as I was brought over. The stranger rose to greet me, took my hand in his as we settled together on a log. At least he was a **little** more properly dressed now in a pair of pants and shirt that I supposed was made from a stag.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he placed a finger to his lips to gently shush me, then nodded to an older man as he stood up. I bit back a sigh. I was used to a lot of ceremony, though more from my childhood than now, so I knew I had to be patient. I sat quietly and listened as he spoke in a language I didn't recognize. Someone brought us all plates of food and drink, and I was bewildered to see only one brought to us. I gave a quick glance around and saw a girl feed the man next to her so I copied the action, as I assumed was expected of me, though it embarrassed me. But I blushed further as he unabashedly licked the honey that had covered the bit of fruit from my fingers. He then fed me a piece of the fruit as well, but I could not bring myself to lick his fingers. He simply grinned wolfishly down at me and did so himself. We then drank in the same fashion, tipping the cup at each others mouths. I froze as he bent to place a kiss on my lips. He took the plate and cup and handed them off before he grabbed my hand. We stood and walked around the fire once as the man spoke again.

When we completed the circuit, the small group about the fire was joined by others, all talking rapidly in that same language. I tried to return the smiles flashed at me, but I was eager for a chance to ask my questions. Finally, we went too sit at a table along a bench to eat, and I turned to him.

"Okay, what's going on? Where am I? When am I going back... who are you?"

He chuckled, and then shook his head. "If you answer my questions first, then I will answer yours, alright?"

I sighed, but nodded my head reluctantly. At least that was one step closer. "Alright."

"First off, what's your name?"

I rattled off the reply quickly, without thinking about it. "Princess Isabella de'Medici of Tuscany."

His eyebrows shot up. "Princess?"

"Yes, well... technically yes. Princess."

He looked at me carefully, and then nodded to himself. "Okay. Princess. Princess I... Iza..."

"Isabella," I supplied, a little more slowly this time, laughing a little despite myself.

"Isa... bella." He sighed. "Bell?"

I blushed a bit, but nodded to give him permission.

"Bell... Bells." He nodded again, seeming to like that better. "My name is Jacob."

My breath caught a little as my heart jumped. Why was I so excited to finally know his name? "Jacob," I repeated softly.

"Yes. Now, Bells... tell me why you were so eager to forfeit your life to me."

Tears sprang to my eyes as I jerked my head away to stare down at my plate. But I felt compelled to tell him... so I did. Everything that had brought me to this moment – my mother's death, going with the Volturi, growing up there, feeling betrayed by Alice, about Afton and Charmion being like adoptive parents to me, then through finding out Edward meant to change me here.

He stiffened at that, so I knew that my assumption that he already knew more of vampires than I might have expected was correct. He turned to speak with another man for a time, so I focused on my food. Occasionally I glanced at the girl at the other man's side as she ate quietly and contributed a little to their conversation, wondering a little at how her face had gotten so badly scarred.

But he eventually turned back to me. "If I could promise you safety here, Bella... would you stay?"

I blinked a few times. "How could you promise that? They're so... strong and fast."

"We are not without our own secrets, princess. We can keep you safe. And I will leave it to you whether your cold companions are even told... or if you would like to see them destroyed.

My eyes widened. "No, no! I mean, even if you could... No, I don't want that. But... I think I would like to be able to have my own life, to get to make choices for myself... I'd like to stay here."

He beamed down at me as the scarred woman shot be a small, understanding smile.

"But, there are some things I would like to get. There are... some mementos I brought with me, of my family. Is it possible to fetch them?"

"Of course. We will go tonight, once the humans you traveled with are asleep, just to be safe."

I nodded and turned back to my meal, and simply spent the next few hours watching others as they got up to dance, listening to the conversation and laughter around me. Even though I could not understand, I could tell that I could have my first real chance at happiness amongst this tribe of people.

Finally, he turned to me. "Bella, how many of the cold ones were there?"

"Four, why?"

"To play fair, for now." He stood and gave a small gesture. The man he had spoken to before rose, and we were joined by an exotically beautiful woman with hair cropped shorter than most the other women here, then another man. "Bella, this is Sam, Leah, and Quil."

I greeted them quietly, and Quil returned it in halting English, so I shot him a smile. But then I yelped as Jacob scooped me up into his arms. I glared up at him, but he just shot me that wolfish grin. "Faster this way."

Then the five of us were off, and I understood what he had meant. The four of them moved through the darkened forest as easily as they might have through an open field in broad daylight, at a speed I knew to be at least faster than what a human could manage. We reached the edge of the forest at the edge of the village not long after, and I could see the tents that had been set up as temporary dwelling.

There was some silence, and then I saw four figures approaching, and then stop a couple yards away.

"Isabella!" Alice exclaimed as she spotted me. "We were so worried!" She sniffed at the air, then arrowed her eyes. "Who are your new friends?"

"Quileutes," Edward spat out. "Put her down, Chief. She's not yours to claim."

My eyes widened a little. "Chief?"

"I am," Jacob answered tersely, eyes never leaving the four Volturi. "How does he know these things?"

"E-Edward reads minds," I supplied softly.

I felt him tense. "Edward, is it? Read my mind then, leech. She forfeited her life to my hands rather than to face her future at your hands, with your kind."

Edward's face crumpled slightly as he glanced at me. "... Isabella?"

I couldn't answer him, and instead lowered my gaze.

Edward drew in a sharp breath. "Fine. But let her choose in a situation where we are all open, **mongrel**. She knows what we are, but you have not shown her what **you** are, have you?"

I looked between them, and inexplicably clung to Jacob as he sat me down. He pulled my hands from him. "He is right, Bella." I heard a snarl from behind me as he addressed me so familiarly, but ignored it. "You should know what you are choosing." He backed away, back into the forest where I could no longer see him, the other three following.

Moments later I gasped and stumbled back as a huge wolf. I glanced around and found three others – a slightly smaller gray wolf where Leah had stood, a black wolf where Sam and stood, and a chocolate brown wolf where Quil had been. I shot my gaze back to the russet brown one, my eyes wide as I saw my reflection in the now familiar eyes as they watched me carefully. "Jacob?"

The wolf ducked its head in reply. I exhaled softly, unable to tear my gaze away.

"Isabella... you don't belong here. What of your father? Your sisters? Alice has seen great things of your sisters. You're a princess in your own right, Eleonora is Duchess of Mantua, and Marie will be Queen of all France. Would you not like to be there for them? Know your nieces and nephews? At my side, you could watch over your family for eternity, if you wished."

Jacob snorted as I finally turned to look at the Volturi again. Edward extended a hand out toward me, and Alice beckoned to me in the same way she had almost ten years ago. And suddenly, I knew. More than I had ever known anything.

I knew it showed in my face, because Edward took a step closer, but that was all he dared. "Isabella, ti amo._ [Isabella, I love you.]_" I stiffened. "Sai che siamo immutabile. _[You know we are unchanging.]_" Jake stirred restlessly behind me to understand what was being said. "Vorrei... ti amo ogni giorno di sempre. _[I would... love you every day of forever.]_ Tu appartieni al mio fianco. _[You belong at my side.] _Alice ha visto nelle sue visioni. _[Alice saw it in her visions.] _Si sa che questo è vero. _[We know that this is true.]_"

I drew in a sharp breath, my shoulders drawn back. I did not want to continue to leave Jacob in the dark, but there were some details I had left out, and I was not quite ready to share.

"Tu mi ami? _[You love me?]_" I scoffed softly with a shake of my head. "Se sono stato fortunato, le urla venuto solo una volta alla settimana. _[If I was lucky, the screams came only once a week.]_" He and Alice cringed, as Felix and Demitri looked on indifferently. "Vi è mai capitato di sentire cose come un essere umano, Edward? _[Have you ever had to hear such things as a human, Edward?] _Come si può stare anche ora, e pretendere di sapere cos'è l'amore? _[How you can stand even now, and pretend to know what love is?]_"

My words were growing angrier, and I took a couple steps forward, and I felt Jacob follow me, protectively. "Per un decennio, quelle urla mi hanno perseguitato. _[For a decade, those screams have haunted me.]_ Le grida di mia madre. _[The cries of my mother.] _ La sua innocente, feto. _[Her innocent, unborn child.] _Quegli incubi mi perseguiterà per tutta la vita. _[Those nightmares will haunt me all my life.]_ Ma non voglio diventare un mostro come te! _[But I will not become a monster like you!]_" I was breathing heavily, but drew myself back together. "I would like my things, Edward. And then I would like it very much if the four of you left, and the Volturi never set foot on this land again."

Felix snorted and finally spoke up. "You know Aro will not take kindly to such demands." I felt Jake turn and leave my side as Felix continued. "Caius in particular would love to have some more children of the moon to hunt down. He does so enjoy his sport."

"These are not children of the moon, Felix," Edward corrected, even as he continued to gaze at me. "They're just shape-shifters who happen to take the shape of a wolf."

Jacob reemerged, back in his human form. "And if any more of your friends want to come, let them try. Your kind cannot properly track us, but we can track you. You feel you are the ultimate predator that hunts the ultimate prey? We hunt **you**. We are built to destroy you. We came tonight as a favor... to my wife."

My eyes shot wide open and I spun to look at him, and I heard all four of the Volturi snarl behind me. But Jacob continued to look straight forward as he spoke. "We came with no intent to destroy you, but what do you think happened to those of you destroyed the humans living here? We are not the only ones of our kind. There are many more of us. Our numbers will only grow the more of you there are... Now, I believe my wife asked for her things, and then we need never see one another again."

Alice sighed, but glanced to Demetri and nodded, sending him to retrieve my things. "Edward... I don't know why, but I cannot see any outcome to decisions made concerning these... creatures. We should go, talk to the coven."

But Edward's focus was not on Alice. It was on Jacob. "Cane bastardo! _[Dog bastard!] _Hai ingannato lei! _[You tricked her!] _Si sapeva che lei avrebbe rifiutato voi! _[You knew she would have rejected you!]_"

I winced as Alice gasped and looked back at me. "Bella! Non si può stare con questi mostri! _[You can not stay with these monsters!]_ Almeno vi offriamo una scelta! _[At least we offer you a choice!]_"

"Alright, that's it. What are they saying?" Jacob asked with a low growl as Demetri returned and sat my trunk down between the two groups.

I closed my eyes a moment, holding back the urge to cry. "Edward accused you of tricking me. That you knew I would refuse you. Alice... said that I cannot stay here, because at least they gave me a choice."

"Some choice."

I shook my head a little and set my hand on Jacob's arm, which seemed to calm him considerably. "Lei sostiene di offrirmi una scelta? _[You claim to offer me a choice?]_ Questa è la mia scelta, Edward. _[This is my choice, Edward.] _Penso di poter essere felice qui. _[I think I can be happy here.]_ Se mi ami ancora un po ', si vorrebbe che io sia felice. _[If you love me even a little, you would want me to be happy.]_"

He eyed me for a few moments longer before he sighed. "Isabella." With a small wave, Felix and Demetri retreated. "Lascio solo perchè sembra essere l'unico modo per dimostrare la verità e la profondità del mio amore per te. _[I leave just because it seems to be the only way to prove the truth and the depth of my love for you.] _Alice continua a guardare per voi, se si cambia idea. _[Alice will continue to watch for you, if you change your mind.]_"

"Grazie, Edward. Ma non sarà rivedermi. _[But you will not see me again.]_"

He looked at me for a moment longer before he sighed, nodded, and then turned to walk away with Alice. There was silence as I watched as the three wolves retreat, then came back in their human shapes. "Quil, could you and Sam take Bella's trunk back?" They went forward to grab it, and Leah turned and dashed into the forest, Sam and Quil not far behind.

Only then did I turn to look up at him again. "You... tricked me into marrying you? … Why?"

He exhaled softly. "Because... I belong with you. At your side for the rest of your days, in any way that you need me. I... **have** to be what you need me to be, Bella. It is one of the... aspects that comes along with the power we are given. It can be a blessing and a curse... but if you need me gone from your life, I can leave you here, or find another village. But when I found you... the only thing I knew was that you needed someone to honestly love you. To love someone who wants nor expects anything from you. And to have the chance to give that to you... I would give everything I have, again and again."

"But... why trick me? Why... why not ask, or wait? Court me properly?"

He chuckled a little at that. "I have an idea that what is proper to you, princess, is vastly different from what may be proper in my eyes and in my world. But... I must ask your forgiveness. Sam and Emily were already having a ceremony alongside another couple. Ordinarily, the marriage of the Chief would have been a much larger celebration. But I smelled the four vampires on you. Knew from... the desperation in your voice when you asked me to take your life that they would have some sort of hold or claim over you. In my world, there is no greater bond for a wolf than the one he has imprinted on. But I know that would not make sense to you or them. So I created another hold, another bond that would be recognized. But, Bella..."

He reached to gently lay a finger under my chin, tipping my head back so that I gazed up at him. "It was never my intention to hurt you. I would never do that... Our marriage will not be official until we lie together in my home. If you wish it, first thing tomorrow, I will tell my people that we are no longer married, have someone else take you in. I could even 'court you properly' if you wish it, my princess."

I actually laughed a little, but shook my head. "I... I don't know right now. Too much has happened. Can... Can I just sleep on it and tell you my decision in the morning?"

"Of course." He scooped me into his arms, and I was surprised at how comfortable I felt there.

I laughed a little, and he gave me a curious look. "It's just that... I was thinking earlier about how this dress covers less than my under things normally would... and it turned out to be my wedding dress."

He grinned. "That think you were wearing before was ridiculous. How can women in your world stand to work like that, or even be out in the sun?"

I laughed a little more loudly this time. "That's just it. Women in 'my world' didn't. Common women did, and they did wear fewer layers. But even then, they couldn't show as much... skin as I am now."

With a chuckle, he stopped to set me on my feet, and I began to walk along at his side comfortably. "I think you'll be in for a shock in my world, Bella. We dress for necessity and comfort. Because we spend much of our lives working. But we have our celebrations, too. Our times of rest. I hope you won't mind that, Bella."

"No... I don't think I will. I mean... I may not be much use at first, but I've hated always being so... pampered. I mean... once in a while, it's nice. But otherwise, I feel so... dull just being cooped up with just books to read."

"We definitely don't have a lot of that... a few we've been given over the years or collected. But there's little point, when they're written in languages we can't read. Few enough of us know English."

"Well... I could help? I mean... I probably have to learn your language first. But there are a lot of wonderful stories, and it would help you to keep your own stories, to share them... with others, with future generations."

"A princess for a teacher, hm?" He teased with a light smile. "I think I would like that, though. As would others."

I smiled happily. "I think I would too. It would be nice for something good to come out of..." I froze in my tracks, closed my eyes as I tried to fight off the swell of memories, of nightmares. When my eyes opened, he was looking back at me, concern evident in his eyes.

"Bells?"

"No... I... don't want to... can't talk about it yet. I just... don't think I can stand to be cold like that ever again."

"Bella," he breathed out softly as he stepped back to me. He took my hand and pulled me tightly against his chest. I could feel his heart beating against my chest; hear the sudden hitch in his breath as my nearness surprised even him somehow. I couldn't help but notice how well I fit against him like this.

There was a roughness to his voice as he spoke again, softly. "Feel what I am, Bella. Flesh and blood and warmth... You don't ever have to feel cold again."

My vision blurred as tears sprang to my eyes. "Jacob... kiss me, please..."

He breathed in sharply as his hand came up to brush across my cheek. Only then did his lips touch mine. Sweetly, at first. Then slowly it grew, and I felt a coil of heat begin to unwind from low within my stomach. My body pressed against his, and I heard a soft groan as his hands slipped down over my back and over my bottom. He lifted me up with ease, pressed my back against a tree for support. I gasped softly, but allowed him to move my legs around his waist.

His hands smoothed over my neck and throat as his mouth continued to devour mine. I felt as if I were being consumed by a fire, and strangely, I welcomed it.

I felt my hips begin to respond, to rock against him. His hand went to my hip as he groaned. I could feel the bark as it dug into my back and scratched over the surface of my skin, but I didn't care. I had never felt anything like this before, and I couldn't imagine ever wanting to be without it.

"Jacob..." Fumbling slightly, my fingers found the tie in his hair and pulled it free so I could indulge in the sudden urge to slide my fingers deeply into his hair.

"Bella... Bella, stop," he gasped out, grasping my hands and pulling them away.

I gazed at him questioningly, trying to fight back the inevitable rush of rejection that washed over me. My body shivered, and little goose bumps rose on my skin as he gently helped to lower me back to my feet. I dusted myself off, taking an unnecessary amount of time at it, so I wouldn't have to look up at him. "What's wrong?" I managed to ask around the lump in my throat, my voice a little shaky.

"Bella." He cupped my face between his hands, tipped my head back. I pulled away at first, but he patiently brought my gaze back to him again and smoothed the tears off my cheek. "My little princess... I'm not rejecting you. It's impossible for me not to want you, and... I do," he emphasized with a low groan. "I do. But... Even if I did not assume that you haven't been with a man that way..." My cheeks warming and turning a bright shade of red probably told him everything he needed to know, but he continued on. "I would not think of making love to my wife for the first time in the middle of the forest against a tree... And I'm even less inclined to take advantage of you after the past few days you've had. Especially since you said you wanted the night to think about it."

I drew in a deep breath, and then nodded my head. "Sorry... I suppose I sort of got swept up in the moment... I've never even been kissed before, and then with as wild as the past couple days have been, ending with me finally being free of the Volturi, getting to actually decide what direction I want my life to take... Guess I'm sort of running on a lot of mixed emotions," I admitted with a small laugh. I wiped the last touch of dampness from my cheek, and boldly reached out to take his hand.

"Okay. We're going to need safe things to talk about. I slept for about a day and am far too excited to even think about sleeping... I suppose you could start trying to help me learn your language? Or tell me about your people, or how you spend your days..." I was rambling, but I was suddenly eager to learn everything possible.

I almost expected to be rebuffed, but he just chuckled and began to talk again, starting out by telling how their days were spent as we walked back to his home. Once we arrived, we just sat in front of a small fire as he continued to talk, flowing seamlessly from their daily lives into their history, how certain members of the tribe inherited the ability to transform into wolves. The spirits they gave thanks to, the various festivals and celebrations, traditions of the tribe.

As the night drew on, I found myself leaning against him, his arm sliding about my waist, feeling as if it belonged there. It was only as the sun began to rise that I had to stifle a yawn, and he chuckled softly.

"Okay... You need some rest. You can only learn so much at once."

I nodded and began to pull the now dried and wilting flowers from my hair, undid the braid and combed through my hair. "Oh! My things... where did they put them?"

"In our room... er... I suppose your room, for the moment," he added with a teasing grin. Leaning over, he lightly kissed me cheek. "Rest well."

I got to my feet and walked halfway to the doorway before I paused and glanced back at him, blushing. "Uhm... Would you come lie next to me, once I'm dressed for bed? I... think it might help me sleep... remind me that I'm not with them anymore."

"I will," he promised softly, a faint smile on his lips, though there was something a little sad in his eyes.

I understood it, he could probably at least guess a little of what I had to deal with, especially in thinking I would have to become like them. But I hated to see it, I hadn't received sympathy for anything in all my life, short of the brief flicker from Alice, but she remembered next to nothing of her human life, so I knew she never really understood. I turned and walked into the room, exhaling heavily and closing my eyes for a moment before I walked over to the chest. Slipping out of the dress and slippers, I folded and put them away so I could change into a nightgown.

A few minutes later, I was snuggled back into the furs. "Ready," I called softly.

He walked in and began to head toward me, then paused as he saw the nightgown I'd pulled out and left draped over the top of the chest. He froze, and glanced toward me. "Bells..."

"It's not night anymore," I replied, suddenly quite shy now that he knew I wasn't wearing anything under the furs. "And... I suppose I didn't really have the night to think about it, but... it's something that I've just realized. Even before I started learning anything about you, I knew about the husband and wife thing, the imprinting... I just felt comfortable being close to you. Then listening to everyone out there last night, laughing and talking, dancing... I've never been around so much happiness. It made me feel like I could feel that way too, some day. I was sincere when I said then that I would like to stay here. And then listening to you talk all night... I think I saw that you're the key to any happiness I could find here. That there will be things for me to do and discover on my own, but... you're the one that will allow me to find all that... And even in just being still... I was smiling last night just being next to you, getting to be close to you. So I guess I never thought about it, but I just realized I knew it. That I want to be here as your wife."

He breathed in deeply, and then eased it out. For a brief moment, I thought he might actually insist I take time to think about it, even when I felt I couldn't be more sure of anything in my life as much as I was sure about this now. But he simply responded by sliding out of his clothes, and I felt myself flush as I kept my gaze steadfastly on his face.

He slid underneath the furs with me as I turned to face him. A little jolt shot through me as he tentatively brushed his hand over my hip, and he paused.

"No, it's okay, just... you are really warm and your hands are rough... I mean... the skin... Yeah."

He chuckled as he continued, settling his hand more firmly on my hip, pulling me against his body. "Let me know if the heat gets too much for you... I know some who have to have the windows uncovered even in the dead of winter..."

The beginnings of my laugh faded into a small sigh as his lips began brushing over my neck and along my shoulders and collarbones, drifting up my throat to my lips. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of it," I vowed softly. I felt him smile before his hand tangled into my hair and I felt myself falling into the kiss and losing all sense of time and place.

The fiery heat from his body seemed to completely surround me as his arms held me close, embracing me tightly before his work-roughened palms began to drift over my body, sending tingles of pleasure through every nerve of my body. That was all it took for my pulse to quicken, my heart beginning to race. Any thought to shyness fled as my fingers tangled in his hair, and I surprised myself by scratching across his back. I mumbled an apology against his mouth.

He just shook his head, dismissed it. I felt him shift, then press back against me, shivering a little as I felt the hardened length pressed against my stomach. Despite knowing this was what I wanted, I couldn't help but be a little tense, nervous. But he didn't try to press things to that point just yet. His hands just continued to explore, though the kisses slowed and became a little more languid, less hurried.

Pulling away, he gazed at me as he began to tug away my coverings. I nodded, but we both ended up laughing a little as we discovered just how tangled I'd gotten in them. When I was finally free, he sat back to gaze at me, and I boldly returned the gesture. I squirmed, hoping I pleased him half as much as he obviously did me with the way he could have my pulse racing before anything had really begun. I got my answer in his eyes as he moved back toward me, climbing over top of me. But the movement was slow, his mouth brushing over my thighs and stomach.

I sank down into the furs with a trembling sigh, gently combing my fingers through his hair. By the time his mouth touched mine again, I felt myself somehow blissfully relaxed, despite the way my blood coursed through my veins. He lifted my hips as he leaned into kissing me. I could feel him simply resting against me. I wrapped my arms securely about him and just nodded my head. He pressed in a little, and then murmured a quiet apology as he quickly sank himself in fully.

I gasped as my back arched, my nails dug into his shoulders. My mind swam dizzily for a moment, and then as if faded, I couldn't help noticing that I was highly aware of the way he felt inside me, could feel the pulsing and heat of his body.

"Bells, I'm so sorry... I don't think I can keep holding back like this," he gasped out softly.

"Don't..." I copied the movement he'd done earlier and put my legs around his waist.

He groaned and began to rock into me, and all I was able to do from that point on was cling desperately to his shoulders, arms, back... any place I could manage to hold onto. I think I may have pulled on his hair at one point, I couldn't be sure. All that I was aware of was all the heat, the fire... from the passion, my pulse racing, the impossible heat of his body. He seemed to grow worried about it as he went to sit up to give me a little more room and air, but I quickly pulled him back down.

I think I was going to become addicted to being this warm.

He began to speak softly to me, and I struggled briefly with my fuzzy thoughts to try and listen before I realized it was his language. But it sounded beautiful, and I smiled. I opened my eyes to look up at him and felt him shudder all around and inside me as our gazes met. His lips brushed over mine as he continued to speak, and though I didn't understand, I felt my heart flutter.

Then I was gasping, and I felt that coil of heat that had been building inside me suddenly explode, then the pulsing sensation that came as he gave a particularly hard, last drive into me. He lingered over me as we both shuddered, clung to me as my hands began to softly brush over his sweat-slicked skin.

As he felt to the side, taking me with him so we wouldn't have to part just yet, I couldn't help but breathe out "You're beautiful."

He chuckled, cupping my cheek as he pressed a single, loving kiss to my lips. "Then you're a goddess."

I would have blushed were I not so thoroughly exhausted and... glowing. That was the only word I could think of at the moment to describe what I was feeling.

"What was it you were saying there, at the end?"

He grinned a bit, kissed the tip of my nose. "I'll keep saying it, and as you learn, you can say it back to me... and then I'll tell you what it means."

"Ugh, you're giving me language lessons in the middle of making love? How am I supposed to memorize words in the middle of that?"

"You'll learn... The two are connected... By the time you know, you'll understand."

I just shook my head and kissed him, then offered a small smile. "Thank you for rescuing me, dear husband."

He closed his eyes a moment, and then smiled at me. "Any time, dear wife."

I gave a content sigh and curled up against him, dismissing the thought of moving away from him to draw up the covers. He was all the warmth I would ever need.


End file.
